by Mimi Barbour
Though only a feeble whimper made it out of her mouth, a scream started building deep inside where only terror and pain exist. As her world spun off its axis, Aurora gripped the nurse ever more tightly.
Dismayed confusion appeared. “I don’t understand. No one would take Lily. I’m alone here right now. My assistant had to run an errand for one of the doctors at least half an hour ago.”
The scream intensified so much that Aurora had to clench her teeth together to stop it from exploding.
As if fearing for her safety, the assistant broke away from hands that hurt. “Let me get the doctor for you.” Scurrying to open the office door, the frightened girl spoke louder than normal. “Doctor you’d better come. I think there’s been another incident.”
In the meantime, her knees weak and useless, Aurora slid to the floor. She groped for her cell phone but it dropped from her shaking hand. That’s when the shrieks erupted. “Help me! We have to find her!”
Chapter Sixteen
Disgruntled, Kai drove his rental aimlessly. He’d just paid an official courtesy visit to the FBI guys to debrief them on the Angeli case and their connections in Nevada, more specifically in Las Vegas. Now he wanted to talk to some ‘real’ people.
Alan Haynes, the head of the unit where he’d been told to report, could give lessons on how to piss off a colleague. The man had about as much personality as a screwdriver. Having met men like him before, Kai figured that Haynes probably worked hard at being an asshole to compensate for his short, skinny body.
A blaring from a disgruntled taxi dispelled his distraction and he made up his mind. Hell with it! He’d go and see Cory, and if he should just happen to run into Aurora, she’d have to deal with it. Damned if he’d slink around with his tail tucked between his legs for the rest of his life. Not only was it frigging uncomfortable, it didn’t suit him at all. If he needed to take a licking from her friends, then so be it.
Wouldn’t be the only time he’d had to take a beating. Visions of the violence he’d recently lived through rose but he squashed them. Must have been the talk about the investigation with Haynes that made his mind wander back to the recent hell he’d barely escaped.
***
Thick with tension, the dead silence in the squad room as he headed toward Cory’s office could be chewed. Kai stopped when he approached Ham’s desk. God he hoped Ham didn’t beat him too badly. His recovery had kicked in and he’d begun to feel like a new man. Another round with a pair of fists would set him back, could even put him in the hospital again.
The big Irishman rose and wiggled his shoulders as if to relax.
Good, thought Kai. Hell, if it would help, he’d offer him a full body massage.
Ham loomed a few inches over Kai, who didn’t move. Took all his perseverance to allow someone else this impudence, but he suspected he deserved whatever Aurora’s Irish guardian angel wanted to dish out.
“It’s been a while.” The edge of Ham’s voice could saw a steel rod in two.
Kai nodded, put his hands over his suit pockets reaching for his hips and then changed his mind. Instead he braced himself, feet apart and waited. “Yeah! I missed you.”
Whether Ham read the sincerity in Kai’s unflinching stare or he’d heard the truth from Cory, he nodded back. “Figured my girl would shoot your sorry ass if you ever had the nerve to show that ugly mug here again.”
“Guess I caught her in a good mood. She only used her gun to threaten my ahh… Seriously scared the bejesus outta me.”
A slight grin broke through Ham’s concrete façade. “You’re lucky. I figured you for a dead man.”
“You gonna do her dirty work for her?” Kai didn’t break eye contact. Neither did Ham.
“Nah! You ain’t worth doing time for.”
“Nasty! She said the same thing.”
“That’s my girl. You want something?”
“Okay if I go check with the boss.”
“Sure. No skin off my balls you wanna die.”
“Actually, we’ve discussed that already and he’s giving me a reprieve.”
“More’n you deserve.”
“My sentiments exactly.” Kai went around the desk and then moved slowly toward Cory’s office. After a few steps, the office noise resumed but the muttering increased. Guess his chances of winning a popularity contest were pretty well nil. It pissed him off because he’d always enjoyed the camaraderie in the place.
He relaxed his shoulders, took a deep breath and knocked. Cory boomed, his voice full of fury. “Enter at your own peril.”
Kai hesitated. Now what? Leave or stay…
He slowly opened the door and leaned into the room. “I’ll go if you want—”
Cory slammed down the phone receiver so hard Kai wondered why it hadn’t broken. “Get your ass in here. We have big trouble.”
Chapter Seventeen
Fighting for her next breath, Aurora sunk deeper into the waves of disbelief. Dealing with the fact that this had happened to her took all she had. How the hell was she supposed to accept that when the ‘shit hit the fan’ she wasn’t any different from other victims?
For the first time in her working life, her training didn’t kick in. If she could shove aside the screams so her brain could function, then maybe she could do more than whimper and bite her lips to stop the nervous breakdown waiting in the wings.
Stumbling recklessly, she ran from office to office in her futile search, but in her heart, she knew it wouldn’t do any good. Lily was gone. Eventually, the doctor who shadowed her led her away from the distressed women in the waiting room.
“I’ve just called your office and spoke to Lieutenant Ashton. He says they’ll be here immediately. We’ve followed the same process you installed last time and no-one has left the premises. Is there anything else you’d like us to do?”
The doctor all but forced her to sit. Then he tried to give her medication, but she slapped it away. Stunned? In shock? She might be. Stupid? Not likely. As soon as her legs worked and her brain kicked in, she’d find the son-of-a-bitch responsible for taking Lily and the bastard would have to die. For the first time, she truly understood the fury that had driven Kai for so long when he lost his sister.
If she could, she’d rip the animal apart who had dared take her baby. Visions of a nurse holding out her arms started to emerge. A woman, not a man. Soft spoken and gentle—not an animal in an elevator.
My God, the Chang-Lees were scum. Using any method available to get the merchandise they needed, they obviously didn’t give a rat’s ass who they hurt in the process.
Now why did she automatically suspect them for the deed? Pain radiated throughout her head and she clutched her temples. So many scenarios played havoc with her she couldn’t seem to focus on any one thought at a time. The tingling in her ears began to niggle. What facts had she considered? They must have been important. But her brain wouldn’t work to replay them.
Viciously shaking her head, rubbing her throbbing brow, wanting to drive her fist through the skin into the bone deep inside to shut down the rising nightmares, she yearned for someone. Debbie, no Lisa. No! They weren’t around. Ham or—or better yet, Cory. He’d know. He’d help her. She craved someone who mattered… who cared.
Then the door burst open and Kai, followed by Cory, rushed in. Her absentee lover moved quickly over to where she sat, lifted her into his arms like a baby and cradled her against him.
Her control broke. Tears gushed and sobs followed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to the one man who she knew shared her terror.
“Shuuu, Darlin’. It’s okay. We’ll get her back.” He swayed from side to side, nuzzling his face into her hair. When she tried to pull back and speak, her mouth brushed his cheek and she tasted salty dampness. Sobs erupted once again.
Husky, but firm with conviction, Kai whispered for her ears alone. “Our baby is going to be fine. We’ll find her. I promise.”
Meanwhile, he’d carried her over to the far corne
r for privacy. Gratified, she fought to recover. Struggling to let him know she wanted to stand, to be released, she liked that he did so but slowly and gently, affection rampant in every move he made.
“Can you answer some questions?” His eyes, red-rimmed and glowing with righteous rage, softened once she looked up. His smile wobbled and his hands shook as he tenderly caressed her face with his thumbs to wipe away the tears. “Cory has the place crawling with our guys. Anyone who knows anything will be questioned. Forensics is combing the joint for any prints they can use to match anything in the system and Ham and the boys are taking statements from the other patients who were there in the room.”
“I gave Lily to the nurse. I gave her away.”
“What did this nurse say?”
“She told me she was going to weigh Lily and that we were next to see the doctor.” Aurora put her hands over her mouth and squeezed hard. “When I handed Lily to the girl, she started to fuss and I almost took her back. Oh God! Why didn’t I take her back? Why didn’t I sense the danger?”
Kai stroked her arm and his warm hand on her bare skin soothed and gave her strength.
“Maybe because there was no danger. You say the female looked like a nurse? Can you give me a description?”
Aurora kept her gaze locked with his and as long as she maintained that contact, her ability to focus worked. Without conscious thought, she linked her fingers with his and pushed her hair from her face.
Clearing her throat first and scrubbing away the wetness on her cheeks and chin, she let her mind go back to the waiting room. With her canny knack of being able to envision prior happenings, she described in detail exactly what had gone down.
“The woman was about my size, had brown eyes and well-kept hands—no rings. With her being dressed in scrubs, masked and capped, I didn’t see much but I had a sense that I knew her. Something about the voice… No, I can’t remember. The memory is fleeting and I can’t grasp it.”
“Did she sound husky, high-pitched, accented?”
“No. All I remember is that she spoke kindly and hushed Lily so skilfully that she instantly settled down. That’s what made me back off.”
Just then Cory stepped close and reached out to take Aurora’s other hand. “Hey, my friend. Don’t you worry. You know we’ll find her. In fact, I just called Alan Haynes at the bureau. They’re deploying their people to hit the warehouse within the hour—”
“What?” Aurora interrupted. “What the hell has taken them so long? If word got back to Chang-Lee about what happened at the correctional center, they would have stripped the place by now and taken any evidence with them.”
“Thanks to your quick thinking, we kept the lid on the attempted assassination and also the suicide to give the Feds time to organize the raid. I’m just praying there wasn’t a leak. We’ll give them that hour to set up but then we’ll be there to make sure there’re no screw-ups.”
“I wouldn’t give them jack!” Kai exploded. “That incompetent asshole Haynes couldn’t organize a fucking picnic for poodles.”
Icy with the contempt he couldn’t hide, not from those who knew him so well, Cory only grunted. He loosened his tie and then stretched his neck as if his big muscles needed more space.
Aurora’s eyes narrowed as she stared daggers at him. “Boss, just so you know. From now on, anything I uncover, I keep. No more sharing! I’ll find those poor babies and screw those pricks if they can’t keep up.”
Hands raised defensively, Cory nodded and then grinned on one side of his unsmiling face. “Fine with me! Let’s go.”
Chapter Eighteen
Kai stood aside to let Aurora sit in the front with Cory, but she declined by ignoring his gesture and shutting herself into the back. Her paleness worried him as did her unstable appearance probably because he’d never seen her looking so unlike her normal, confident, sassy self.
Her hair, her beautiful cloud of black waves that made a man long to stroke them had been viciously anchored back. Her prominent cheekbones stood out as did her full lips that were ripped and bloody from her ravaging teeth.
She looked exactly like a woman on the edge and all he wanted were those moments back that they’d shared in the doctor’s office. The moments when she’d tried to bury herself inside him. When everything he was, every sinew of his soul demanded he declare his love and commitment.
The only thing that had him backing off from demanding he take her home was her typical self-confidence that she knew exactly what needed to be done and would do it no matter what. Plus the look in her eyes warned that anyone dumb enough to thwart her would pay dearly.
For a second their eyes caught, and hers, shining with pooled tears, increased the agony already ripping through his insides. He gasped and had to inhale to stop the love he felt from gushing out of his mouth and upsetting her even worse.
He’d seen the panic she couldn’t hide. The identical feeling had stricken him. First, unending fear clawed, leaving a person feeling helpless. Then the ‘what ifs’ had to be forced back so madness couldn’t grab hold.
Stop it!
He wouldn’t go there, because if he let the images of the terrible things that could happen to his darling little baby without anyone to protect her, without her Daddy or Mommy… My God, please keep her safe!
Having recently lived through a disaster when his wife Debbie and son Alec had been kidnapped by a crazed maniac, Kai knew that Cory understood their suffering. His intentions were obvious. To keep their minds occupied and off of what they might find at their destination, Cory started sharing facts with Kai and Aurora about the ongoing case to bring them up to date. Kai forced himself to listen. Anything that might help get Lily back into her mother’s arms needed his attention.
Soon the boss called on Aurora to explain certain elements, the parts she’d been involved in personally. Smart as a fox, he forced her to join in the conversation. Concentrating on the upcoming battle made sense and Kai felt indebted to Cory for his quick thinking.
Chapter Nineteen
Cory, driving like a madman with his lights flashing and noise deafening, pulled up behind a multitude of other police vehicles. The lack of activity told its own story. They knew exactly what they would find.
Nothing!
Disappointment made Aurora clench her teeth so hard it brought a new surge of tears to her eyes. God how she’d wanted to see that white Peterbilt surrounded by law enforcement—and the babies safe. Hungering to hold Lily ate away at her insides and made her breasts swell painfully.
From the front seats, the men readied themselves to join the group.
Kai turned to her and asked; his voice considerate but flat. “You ready?” She saw the pain in his expression, the tightening around his mouth and knew he suffered.
She didn’t trust herself to speak so instead she nodded.
Flashlights, passed out between them, helped them walk over the uneven ground. Approaching the yellow tape with their badges in full sight didn’t get them beyond the boundary. Following orders, the young officer stayed them by holding his arms out. Only a roar from Cory towards the strutting peacock dressed like a SWAT general got them admitted.
Aurora heard the snarl growing in Kai’s chest before even a hint of it surfaced and wondered how she held her own cool. Frustration ate away all her civility. Pulling her gun and putting a bullet into that incompetent bastard, Haynes, began to seem like a really good idea.
How the hell they thought they’d keep a crime scene from being contaminated with so many people milling around, she’d never know. Half the vehicles could leave and take 80% of the personnel and it would still be too many.
Cory and Kai approached Haynes with questions. But Aurora didn’t trust herself around the man who’d waited too long and ruined the best lead they had to getting Lily back safe. She would do her own investigating.
On the way to the warehouse, Cory had shared the earlier report he’d received from L.A. on Leon Chang-Lee, the half-brother who lived
there. Seems the Feds had brought him into their office for questioning, and like any smart crook, he’d lawyered up. Needless to say, they’d failed to do anything other than warn the bastard. Now he’d crawl underground until the heat lifted.
Aurora’s people knew that it made sense for the Chang-Lee’s merchandise to be transported by sea and so they’d quietly investigated all vessels heading to China in the next few days. They’d paid special attention to any connected with the Chang-Lees and came up blank. Which of course meant squat. Papers could be falsified, and unless they searched every single container ship, they weren’t likely to find any damning evidence.
If successful, this raid would’ve been their best chance to gain evidence against the brothers and sever the whole operation. Shaking with tension, Aurora wandered around the perimeter to cool down.
The ache in her ears gave her the first clue and the when the low hum started she already knew why. Sure enough, tire tracks, like those she’d seen recently were plainly visible. Excitement revved her already fired up senses. She pulled her phone and called Cory.
“I need you here. You and Kai. Alone.” She saw him glance around until he spotted her, and with a nod to Haynes, he touched Kai’s arm and motioned him to follow. They nonchalantly walked over to where she stood.
“What’s up?” Cory looked primed and she supposed he’d picked something up in her voice.
“The Peterbilt was here. See those tracks? They’re an exact match to the ones at the crime scene by the scales. I studied them there, Cory. I’m sure. Can we get our team here to do the casting? “
“No can do, Aurora. Right now, it’s their jurisdiction. Granted, I’d like nothing better than to show up their incompetence, but we can’t take the chance on anyone messing with the prints either.” Cory thought for a moment and the disgust in his voice became even clearer. “We’ll have to point it out to them to be sure it’s taken care of. This is the kind of evidence that could win a case against some pretty bad characters.”